Tribes Have Enough To Buy Sacred Land

November 30, 2012, 2:39 PM

A group of Native American tribes has succeeded in raising $9 million to buy a piece of land in South Dakota's Black Hills that they consider sacred.

Cris Stainbrook of the Indian Land Tenure Foundation tells The Associated Press that the tribes raised enough money to purchase the land from its current owners. Stainbrook, who was taking part in a meeting with stakeholders, says the deal should be finalized Friday. The deadline to raise the money was Friday.

The land, known as Pe' Sla, went up for sale after being privately owned. Members of the Great Sioux Nation have been allowed to gather there every year to perform rituals.

The site plays a key role in the tribes' creation story, and members fear new owners would develop it.